In the competitive industry of graphic design, it can be difficult to establish a name brand. Nonetheless, there are a couple dozen design firms around the world that have managed to cut through the clutter and gain international prestige.
Their roster of clients, impressive portfolio of work, prominence in local markets and international reach have made them some of the most famous graphic design companies on the planet. Read on below for the dream-team list of design agencies (in no particular order).
One of the biggest and most famous graphic design companies in the world, Pentagram is owned and run equally by 19 partners—all of whom are leaders in the design industry. Their star-studded list of past and present partners includes names like Alan Fletcher, Bob Gill, Paula Scher and Michael Bierut.
Headquarters: London
Locations: New York, San Francisco, Berlin and Austin.
Notable clients: The Guggenheim, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Cosmopolitan, Boots, Revlon, Sesame Street, Citibank, 21st Century Fox, Harley Davidson, Codeacademy, Princeton University, General Electric, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Guitar Hero, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, Sundance Film Festival, Bennetton, Sake Fifth Avenue, Tiffany & Co, Alexander McQueen, Grey Goose, Popeyes, MillerCoors, WeightWatchers, Stanford Law School, Rolls Royce, Vanity Fair, Sotheby’s, Nissan, Pantone, Nokia, Reuters, Penguin Press, Time Warner, Walgreens, FIFA, Nike, United Airlines.
In their own words, Landor is “the world’s preeminent brand consulting firm.” Headquartered in San Francisco with 36 offices in 20 countries, this design giant has one of the most enviable client lists on the planet.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Locations: Bangkok, Beijing, Cape Town, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dubai, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo
Notable clients: FedEx, P&G, BP, John Deere, Smirnoff, Kraft, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, BMW, Volvo, Volkswagen, Land Rover, Moet & Chandon, MillerCoors, Tsingtao, Evian, Nescafe, Crest, Old Spice, PepsiCo, Vicks, Procter & Gamble, Cotton Inc, Juicy Couture, Levi Strauss, Rolex, 7 For All Mankind.
One of the leading design firms in the world, Meta Design has crafted compelling brand experiences for more than 20 years. From reinventing Apple’s Mac OS design system to collaborating on Adobe’s packaging and identity, their caliber of work resonates on a global level that’s tough to match.
Headquarters: San Francisco
Locations: Zurich, Beijing, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Geneva
Notable clients: Adidas, AT&T, Apple, Adobe, AOL, Audi, Bank of America, Barclays, Belkin, Bugatti, Charles Schwab, Chevron, Cisco, Coca Cola Comcast, eBay, Expedia, FIFA, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Fujifilm, Fujitsu, Gap, Genentech, Hewlett-Packard, Inkling, Intel, Intuit, Kohler, Lamborghini, LG Electronics, Lufthansa, McAfee, McGraw Hill, Motorola, MTV, Netflix, Nike, Nokia, Polo Ralph Lauren, Samsung, Sony, Volkswagen, Walmart, Wells Fargo, Xerox, Yahoo!
Ranked number one in 2013 by Design Week National Creative League Table and clocking more than 250 national and international awards, The Chase has garnered attention for their innovative corporate branding and print design. These self-proclaimed “creative consultants” offer an interesting sampling of skills including calendar design, museum exhibits, and sports stadium branding.
Headquarters: Manchester
Locations: Preston and London
Notable clients: Alibaba, Amnesty International, BBC, Disney, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard, Shell, Smirnoff, Yellow Pages
Charlie Smith Design was founded in 2003 by ex-Pentagram designer Charlie Smith. Coming from such a world-renowned company, it’s no surprise her new project was a success. Her team offers a full range of services including packaging and digital, and they take a detail oriented approach, giving attention to every aspect of each design project, from paper choice to materials used.
Headquarters: London
Notable clients: John Lewis, V&A, Louis Vuitton, Royal Academy of Arts, Yale, University of the Arts London, Tate, Phaidon, Terence Woodgate, British Council, Creative Review
